the Lord that I will heare the heavens and they shall heare the earth and the earth shall heare the corne and the wine and the oile and they shall heare Israell From that we may descend to the foure Elements which as a musicall instrument of foure strings is both tuned and touched by the hand of heaven And in the next place those bodies which are mixed and tempered of these Elements offer themselues to our consideration whether they bee without life as stones and mettalls or haue the life of vegetation only as Plants or both of vegetation and sense as beasts and birds and fishes and in the last place man presents himselfe vpon this Theater as being created last though first intended the master of the whole family chiefe Commaunder in this great house nay the master-peece the abridgment the mappe and modell of the Vniuerse And in him wee will examine this pretended decay first in regard of age and length of yeares secondly in regard of strength and stature thirdly in regard of wits and Arts and fourthly and lastly in regard of manners and conditions to which all that is in man is or should bee finally referred as all that is in the world is vnder God finally referred to man And because it is not sufficient to possesse our owne fort without the dismantling and demolishing of our enimies a principall care shall bee had throughout the whole worke to answere if not all at least the principall of those obiections which I haue found to weigh most with the adverse part And in the last place least I should any way bee suspected to shake or vndermine the ground of our Christian religion or to weaken the article of our beliefe touching the consummation of the world by teaching that it decayes not to wipe off that aspertion I will endeavour to prooue the certainety thereof not so much by Scripture which no Christian can be ignorant of as by force of Reason and the testimony of Heathen writers and finally I will conclude with an exhortation grounded therevpon for the stirring of men vp to a preparation of themselues against that day which shall not only end the world but iudge their actions and dispose of the everlasting estate of their persons CAP. 4. Touching the worlds decay in generall SECT 1. The three first generall reasons that it decayes not THe same Almighty hand which created the worlds massie frame and gaue it a being out of nothing doth still support and maintaine it in that being which at first it gaue and should it with draw himselfe but for a moment the whole frame would instantly returne into that nothing which before the Creation it was as Gregorie hath righly observed Deus suo presentiali esse dat omnibus rebus esse ita quod si se rebus subtraheret sicut de nihilo facta sunt omnia sic in nihilum diffluerent vniversa God by his presentiall Essence giues vnto all things an Essence so that if hee should withdraw himselfe from them as out of nothing they were first made so into nothing they would be againe resolved In the preservation then of the Creature wee are not so much to consider the impotencie and weakenesse thereof as the goodnesse wisedome and power of the Creator in whom and by whom and for whom they liue and moue and haue their being The spirit of the Lord filleth the world saith the Authour of the wisedome of Solomon and the secret working of the spirit which thus pierceth through all things hath the Poet excellently exprest Principio caelum ac terr as camposque liquentes Lucentemque globum Lunae Titaniaque astra Spiritus intus alit totamque infusa per artus Mens agitat molem magno se corpore miscet The heauen the earth and all the liquide maine The Moones bright globe and starres Titanian A spirit within maintaines and their whole masse A minde which through each part infus'd doth passe Fashions and workes and wholly doth transpierce All this great Body of the Vniverse This Spirit the Platonists call the Soule of the World by it it is in some sort quickned and formaliz'd as the body of man is by its reasonable Soule There is no question then but this Soule of the World if wee may so speake being in truth none other then the immortall Spirit of the Creator is able to make the body of the World immortall and to preserue it from disolution as he doth the Angels and the spirits of men and were it not that he had determined to dissolue it by the same supernaturall and extraordinary power which at first gaue it existence I see not but by the ordinary concurrence of this spirit it might euerlastingly endure and that consequently to driue it home to our present purpose there is no such vniversall and perpetuall decay in the course of Nature as is imagined and this I take to be the meaning of Philo in that booke which he hath composed De Mundi incorruptibilitate of the Worlds incorruptibility there being some who haue made the World eternall without any beginning or ending as Aristotle and the Peripateticks others giue it a beginning but without ending as Plato and the Academicks whom Philo seemes to follow and lastly others both beginning ending as Christians and other Sects of Philosophers whom Aristotle therefore flouts at saying that he formerly feared his house might fall downe about his eares but that now he had a greater matter to feare which was the dissolution of the world But had this pretended vniversall perpetuall decay of the World beene so apparant as some would make it his flout had easily beene returned vpon himselfe his opinion by dayly sensible experience as easily confuted which wee may well wonder none of those Philosophers who disputed against him if they acknowledged and beleeued the trueth thereof should any where presse in defence of their owne opinions it being indeed the most vnanswerable and binding argument that possibly could be enforced against him were there that evident certaintie in it as is commonly imagined whereas he in the sharpnesse of his wit seeing the weakenesse thereof would not so much as vouchsafe it a serious answere but puts it off with a jeast For mine owne part I constantly beleeue that it had a beginning and shall haue an ending and hold him not worthy the name of a Christian who holds not as much yet so as I beleeue both to bee matter of faith through faith we vnderstand that the Worlds were framed by the word of God and through the same faith we likewise vnderstand that they shall be againe vnframed by the same word Reason may grope at this truth in the darke howbeit it can neuer cleerely apprehend it but inlightned by the beame of faith I deny not but probable though not demonstratiue and convincing arguments may be drawn from discourse of reason to proue either the one or the other
but finding the boate charged with Flemings yeelded themselues and the place Lastly for Sea-fight this age vndoubtedly surpasseth the Ancient theirs being but boyes play in comparison of ours What poore things were their Gallies to our ships their pikes and stone-bowes slings to our Canon musket-shot how vntowardly the managing of their vessels in regard of that skill which latter ages haue found out practised And heerein I dare match our owne Nation if perchaunce the Hollander haue not gotten the start of vs with any in the world only it were to be wished that some worthy pen would vndertake the reducing of these kindes of fights into an Art as many haue done the land-seruice by setting downe rules and precepts for it gathered out of obseruation Sir Richard Hawkins hath done somewhat in this kinde but brokenly and glancingly intending chiefely a discourse of his owne voyages Sir Walter Rawleigh tels vs in his history of the world that himselfe had entred vpon such a worke at the commaund of Prince Henry but vpon his death put it by The intendment was noble and the writer doubtles very able so as it were to be wished that those peeces fragments which he left behind him touching that subiect were sought vp brought to light that they might serue if not for sufficient directions in matter of practise yet for patterns delineations to such as would farther advance perfect so worthy a businesse there being no one thing as I conceiue which can be more important for the state or more concerne the safety and wellfare of this Iland CAP. 9. Touching Grammar Rhetorique Logicke the Mathematiques Philosop by Architecture the Arts of Painting and Navigation SEC 1. Touching Grammar Rhetorique and Logicke BVt leauing these considerations to Souldiers let vs returne to our owne Element taking a view of the liberall sciences among which Grammar deseruedly challenges the first ranke as being indeede the key that opens the doore to the rest This latter age hath heerein excelled so farre that all the great learned Schollers who haue of late risen specially if they adhered to the reformed Churches haue beene by the Fryers such like people in a kind of scorne tearmed Grammarians But these Grammarians are they who by the helpe of Phylologie the languages haue discouered so many forgeries supposititious writings now by all acknowledged so to be which before passed as currant aswell in the workes of the Fathers of the Church as prophane Authours These are they who haue presented vs with so many exact Translations out of Greeke Hebrew into Latine and againe out of Latine into other languages And howsoeuer Albericus Gentilis some others haue written in defence of the Latinity of that translation of the Bible which goes vnder the name of the Vulgar yet can it not be denyed but it is justly accused of much incongruity barbarisme which by latter Translations haue beene reformed These are they who haue vindicated infinite Authours from a number of foule corruptions which by tract of time had crept vpon them thorow the ignorance or negligence of Transcribers or Printers or both So that they haue herein in a manner restored the Authours to themselues making them speake in their owne words sence and besides by annotations animadversions commentaries expositions by the search helpe of coynes old Epitaphs inscriptions such like remainders of Antiquity haue further added a marveilous great light vnto them In the next place Rhetorique presents it selfe which in trueth was brought to the height amongst the Graecians Romans specially whiles their states remained popular But in the generall declination decay of Arts which followed after this likewise was well neere extinguished that little life of it which remained being reserued onely in the predicancie of Postillers or the patheticall sermons of Fryers till Sadoletus Bembus Muretus others reuiued reduced it to its auncient lustre Logicke indeed is it wherein we are thought to be most defectiue in regard of former ages and it is true that the Schoole-men had set their stocke the vtmost of their endeavours vpon this part of learning their whole life being in a manner little else but a perpetuall wrangling and altercation that many times rather for victory ostentation of wit then a sober serious search of truth so as their entrance being vaine their end was likewise fruitlesse What huge volumes haue they compiled of the Predicables Predicaments as if in them consisted the very spirit soule of Logicke whereas in truth they are rather an Appendix or preparatiue vnto it then part of it By which meanes they kept men so long in the porch that they entred not into the house till it was more then time to goe out of it Latter ages finding this intollerable inconvenience haue well compacted the body of this Art into a lesser compasse yet so as Aristotles Text is not to be neglected and to this body haue they not improperly added the doctrine of Methods as a necessary limbe thereof whereas we doe not find that anciently it was so held either by the Founders or principall Masters of this science or at leastwise they haue left vs no sufficient Rules and precepts touching this most vsefull part Euen Hooker himselfe though otherwise no friend to Ramystry acknowledgeth that it is of marvellous quicke dispatch shewing them that haue it as much almost in three dayes as if it dwelt three score yeares with them and againe that the mind of man is thereby restrained which through curiositie doth many times with perill wade farther in the search of truth then were convenient And for Raymundus Lullius a man it seemes of a strong braine some great wits are of opinion that by his ars breuis greater matters may in the sciences be more speedily effected then by any helpes of the ancients that went before him SECT 2. Touching Astronomie and Geometrie as also the Physicks and Metaphysicks FOr the Mathematiques Regio-Montanus might in Ramus his iudgement safely enough compare with the best of the Ancients Noriberga tum Regiomontano fruebatur Mathematici inde studij operis gloriam tantam adepta vt Tarentum Archyta Syracusae Archimedi Bizantium Proclo Alexandria Ctesybio non justius quam Noriberga Regio-Montano gloriari possit Then did Norinberg injoy Regio-Montanus and from thence purchased so great honour both of the study practice of the Mathematiques that Tarentum could not more justly glory in Archytas nor Syracuse in Archimedes nor Bizantium in Proclus nor Alexandria in Ctesybius then might Norinberg in Regio-Montanus I will onely touch the two most noble parts thereof Astronomy Geometry It was the opinion of the greatest part of the Ancients not only Grecians Egyptians Arabians Hebrewes but many Doctours of the Christian Church as appeares by Espencaeus in his Treatise de Coelorum animatione that the Heavens or at least the stars were liuing bodies informed with
considering that with thee is the well of life in thy presence is the fulnes of joy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore By parting from thee then wee part from the blisfull vision of the face of God from the fruition of the happy fellowship of the holy Angels and society of Saints and consequently from happinesse it selfe What remaines then but that parting from happinesse wee should indeede become most miserable and accursed Caitifs Depart from me yee Cursed Men sometimes curse where God blesses and blesse where God curses They can only pronounce a man cursed they cannot make him so but heere it is otherwise for with this powerfull and righteous Iudge to pronounce is to make when he cursed the figge tree it instantly withered And as these impenitent Sinners loved cursing so shall it come vnto them and as they loved not blessing so shall it be farre from them As they cloathed themselues with cursing like a rayment so shall it come into their bowels like water and like oyle into their bones it shall be vnto them as a garment to cover them and for a girdle wherewith they shall be alway girded Cursed shall be the day of their conception cursed the day of their birth Cursed they shall be in their soules and cursed in their bodies Cursed in their thoughts and cursed in their desires cursed in their speeches and cursed in their actions Cursed in the haynousnes of their sinne and cursed in the grievousnesse of their punishment cursed in their punishment of losse for their aversion from the Creator Depart from me and cursed in their punishment of sense for their conversion to the Creature Depart from me into everlasting Fire Of all the Creatures appointed by Almighty God to be instruments for the execution of his vengeance water and fire are noted to haue the least mercy And therefore with fire brimstone consumed he the filthy Sodomites a type of this hellish fire as Sodome was of hell it selfe If creating an element heere for our comfort I meane the fire he made the same so insufferable as it is in such sort as a man would not hold his onely hand therein one day to gaine a kingdome what a fire thinke you hath he provided for hell which is not created for comfort but only for torment Our fire hath many differences from that and therefore is truly sayd of the holy Fathers to be but as a painted or fained fire in respect of that For first our fire was made to comfort as I haue sayd and that only to afflict and torment Our fire hath need to be fed continually with wood and fewell or else it goeth out that burneth eternally without feeding and is vnquenchable for that the breath of the Lords owne mouth doth blowe and nourish it Our fire worketh only vpon the body immediatly vpon the soule being a spirit it cannot worke that worketh vpon the soule separated from the bodie as it likewise doth vpon the Apostate Angells and vpon both soule and bodie rejoyned Our fire giveth light which of it selfe is comfortable that admitteth none but is full of dismall darkenesse Our fire may be extinguished or the rage of it abated with water that cannot Ours breedeth weeping that not only weeping but gnashing of teeth the ordinary effect of cold Such a strange and incredible fire it is that it implies contraries and so terrible is this Iudge to his enimies that he hath devised a wonderfull way how to torment them with burning heate and chilling cold both at once Lastly our fire consumeth the food that is cast into it and thereby in short space dispatcheth the paines whereas that afflicteth tormenteth but consumeth not to the end the paines may be Everlasting as is the fire O deadly life O immortall death what shall I tearme thee Life and wherefore then dost thou kill Death and wherefore then dost thou endure There is neither Life nor Death but hath something good in it For in life there is some ease and in death an end but thou hast neither ease nor end What shall I tearme thee even the bitternesse of both For of death thou hast torment without any end and of life the continuance without any ease so long as God shall liue so long shall the damned die and when he shall cease to be happy then shall they also cease to be miserable A starre which is farre greater then the earth appeareth to be a small spot in comparison of the heavens much lesse shall the age of man seeme yea much lesse the age and continuance of the whole world in regard of this perpetuity of paines The least moment of time if it be compared with tenne thousand millions of yeares because both tearmes are finite and the one a part of the other beareth although a very small yet some proportion but this or any other number of yeares in respect of endlesse eternity is nothing lesse then just nothing For all things that are finite may bee compared together but betweene that which is finite and that which is infinite there standeth no comparison O sayth one holy Father in a godly meditation if a sinner damned in hell did know that hee had to suffer those torments no more thousand yeares then there be sands in the sea or grasse leaues on the ground or no more thousand millions of ages then there be Creatures in heaven hell and in earth he would greatly rejoyce for that he would comfort himselfe at the leastwise with this cogitation that once yet the matter would haue an end But now sayth this good man this word never breaketh his heart considering that after an hundred thousand millions of worlds if there might be so many he hath as farre to his journeyes end as hee had the first day of his entrance into those torments And surely if a man that is sharpely pinched with the goute or the stone or but with thetoothach and that they hold him but by fits giving him some respite betweene-whiles notwithstanding doe thinke one night exceeding long although he lie in a soft bed well applied cared for how tedious doe wee thinke eternity will seeme to those that shall be vniuersally in all their parts continually without intermission perpetually without end or hope of end schorched in those hellish flames which besides that they are everlasting haue this likewise added that they are prepared for the Devill and his Angells Prepared by whom surely by the Iudge himselfe who giues the sentence Now if but mortall Iudges should set and search their wits to devise prepare a punishment for some notorious malefactour what grievous tortures doe they often finde out able to make a man tremble at the very mentioning of them what kinde of punishment then shall wee conceiue this to be which this immortall King of Heauen Earth this Iudge both of the quick dead hath prepared Surely his invention this way is as farre beyond the reach
they moue and so I conceiue it to haue beene mâ—…nt by Aristotle but in naturall motions as the moving of a stone downeward and such is rather Naturâ—…s motion in the course of the world the contrary is vndoubtedly truâ—… Cresâ—…â—…undo the farther it moues the more strength it gathers and fortiâ—…ies it selfe in going Besides if the strength of the hand could goe along with the dart or if the bow with the arrow as the hand and power of God leades and preserues Nature in her course keeping â—…t a wâ—…king as the spring doth the wheels in a watch or Clocke thâ—…e is no question but their motions would proue as quicke and forcible in the end as at the beginning and not cease at all before the strength of the hand or bow which carry them forward were removed from them Finally if this axiome were not to be limited it should equally extend to the Angells and the soules of men and the first matter and the heavens as well as to the sublunary mixt bodies but the same power which vpholds and maintaines them in their originall state supports likewise the whole body of this inferiour world together withall the severall speâ—…ies or kindes thereof and did it not so doe all the absurdities already touched as impotency in that spirit which animates the world to support it anâ—…ihilation in the course of Nature defect and swarving in the Creaâ—… without the sin of man foreknowledge of the worlds end the end of it long before this time would infalliblely follow therevpon SECT 2. The second generall obiection answered which is that the seuerall parts of the World decaying it should argue a consumption in the whole ANother argument drawne from reason for the worlds decay is that all the parts of it decay and by degrees grow to dissolution which should likewise argue a wasting and lingring consumption in the whole since there seemes to be the same reason of the whole which is of all the parts where of it consists But the answere hereunto will easily appeare out of that which hath already beene deliuered and by taking a review of the seuerall parts of the Vniversall First then for the heauens vndoubtedly they feele no such decay either in substance quantity motion light warmth or influence as I hope I shall make it manifest in the next Chapter and for the Elements what they loose in regard of their quantity is againe made vp by equivalence or compensation and that in respect of their quality they decay not either by being of lesse efficacie or more malignant dispositions then in former ages remaines to be shewed in their proper place and lastly for the bodies mixed and tempered of the Elements though it be graunted that all individuals or particulars in time decay or perish yet doth it not follow that the same condition should likewise bee annexed to the species or kinde which is still preserued by a new supply and successiue propagation of particulars not alwayes inferiour to their predecessours which this argument presumes but sometimes excelling and commonly equalling them in goodnes as hath alwayes beene touched in part and shall hereafter by Gods helpe bee more fully and distinctly prooued SECTIO 3. The third generall obiection answered taken from the authority of S. Cyprian THe arguments drawne from authority are either humane or divine testimonies Among humane that of S. Cyprian is most famous as wel in regard of his great piety and learning as his approach to the pure and primitiue times of the Church of Christ. This holy Martyr then and venerable Bishop greeuing that the Christian Religion should be charged with these lamentable accidents wherewith the World at that time was pressed and shaken shapes this reply to Demetrianus their accuser Illud primo loco scire debes senuisse iam mundum non illis viribus stare quibus prius steterat nec vigore robore eo praevalere quo antea praevalebat hoc enim nobis tacentibus nulla de Scripturis sanctis praedicationibusque divinis documenta promentibus mundus ipse iam loquitur occasum sui rerum labentium probatione testatur Non hyeme nutriendis seminibus tanta imbrium copia est non frugibus aestate torrendis solis tanta flagrantia est nec sic verna de temperie sua laeta sata sunt nec adeò arbores foetibus autumno foecundae sunt minus de effossis fatigatis montibus eruuntur marmorum crustae minus argenti auri opes suggerunt exhausta iam metalla pauperes venae tenuantur in dies singulos decrescunt deficit in agris agricola in amicitijs concordia in artibus peritia in moribus disciplina Putasne tu posse tantam substantiam rei senescentis existere quantumprius potuit novella adhuc vegeta iuventute pollere Minuatur necesse est quicquid fine iam proximo in occidua extrema divergit sic sol in occasu suo radios minus claro igneo splendore iaculatur sic declinante iam cursu exoletis cornubus Luna tenuatur arbor quae fuerat ante viridis fertilis are scentibus ramis fit postmodum sterili senectute deformis fons qui exundantibus prius venis largiter profluebat vix modico sudore distillat Haec sententia mundo data est haec Dei lex est ut omnia orta occidant aucta senescant infirmentur fortia magna minuantur cùm infirmata diminuta fuerint fiâ—…iantur You ought first to haue knowne this that the World is now waxen old that it hath not those forces which formerly it had neither is endued with that vigour and strength wherewith it formerly was thus much though we held our peace and brought no proofe thereof from holy Scripture and divine Oracles the World it selfe proclaimes and testifies its declination by the experience of all things declining in it Wee haue not now so great store of showres for the nourishing of our seedes in Winter nor in Summer so much warmth of the Sunne for the ripening of our corne In the Spring our fields are not so fresh and pleasant nor in Autumne our trees so loaden with fruites lesse peeces of marble are hewed out of the exhausted and tired mountaines and the emptied Mines yeeld lesse quantity of gold and siluer theit veines daylie diminishing and decreasing The husbandman is defectiue in manuring the Earth concord failes in friendship skill in Arts and discipline in manners Can you imagine that the state of a thing waxing old should be so firme sound as when it flourished in its youth That must needes bee weakened which the finall period of it approaching hastens to the last end so the Sunne when it is setting darts not forth so fiery and cleare beames So the Moon drawing toward the end of her race drawes in her horns and growes lesse and the tree which formerly was greene and fruitfull her boughes withering becomes deformed by barren
of Pliny out of him that oysters and mussels and cockles and lobsters crabbs and generally all shell-fish grow fuller in the waxing of the Moon but emptier in the waning thereof Such a strong predominancie it hath euen vpon the braine of Man that Lunatikes borrow their very name from it as also doth the stone Selenites whose property as S. Augustine and Georgius Agricola record it is to increase and decrease in light with the Moone carrying alwayes the resemblance thereof in it selfe Neither can it reasonably be imagined that the other Planets and starrs and parts of Heauen are without their forcible operations vpon these lower Bodies specially considering that the very plants and hearbes of the Earth which we tread vpon haue their seueral vertues as well single by themselues as in composition with other ingredients The Physitian in opening a veine hath euer an eye to the signe then raigning The Canicular star specially in those hotter Climates was by the Ancients alwayes held a dangerous enemy to the practise of Physick and all kind of Evacuations Nay Galen himselfe the Oracle of that profession adviseth practitioners in that Art in all their Cures to haue a speciall regard to the reigning Constellations Coniunctions of the Planets But the most admirable mystery of Nature in my mind is the turning of yron touched with the loadstone toward the North-pole of which I shall haue farther occasion to intreate more largely in the Chapter touching the Comparison of the wits inventions of these times with those of former ages Neither were it hard to add much more to that which hath beene said to shew the dependance of these Elementary Bodies vpon the heauenly Almighty God hauing ordained that the higher should serue as intermediate Agents or secondary Causes betweene himselfe and the lower And as they are linked together in a chaine of order so are they likewise chained together in the order of Causes but so as in the wheeles of a Clocke though the failing in the superior cannot but cause a failing in the inferiour yet the failing of the inferiour may well argue though it cannot cause a failing in the superiour We haue great reason then as I conceiue to begin with the Examination of the state of Coelestiall bodies in as much as vpon it the conditionof the subcoelestiall wholly de-pends Wherein fiue things offer themselues to our consideration Their substance their motion their light their warmth and their influence SECT 2. Touching the pretended decay in the substance of the Heavens TO finde out whether the substance of the heavenly bodies bee decayed or no it will not be amisse a little to inquire into the nature of the matter and forme of which that substance consists that so it may appeare whether or no in a naturall course they be capable of such a supposed decay That the Heavens are endued with some kinde of matter though some Philosophers in their jangling humour haue made a doubt of it yet I thinke no sober and wise Christian will deny it But whether the matter of it bee the same with that of these inferiour bodies adhuc sub Iudice lis est it hath beene and still is a great question among Diuines The ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Primitiue Church for the most part following Plato hold that it agrees with the matter of the Elementary bodies yet so as it is compounded of the finest flower and choisest delicacy of the Elements But the Schoolemen on the other side following Aristotle adhere to his Quintessence and by no meanes will bee beaten from it since say they if the Elements and the heauens should agree in the same matter it should consequently follow that there should bee a mutuall traffique and commerce a reciprocall action and passion betweene them which would soone draw on a change and by degrees a ruine vpon those glorious bodies Now though this point will neuer I thinke bee fully and finally determined till wee come to be Inhabitants of that place whereof wee dispute for hardly doe wee guesse aright at things that are vpon earth and with labour doe wee find the things that are at hand but the things which are in heaven who hath searched out Yet for the present I should state it thus that they agree in the same originall mater and surely Moses mee thinkes seemes to favour this opinion making but one matter as farre as I can gather from the text out of which all bodily substances were created Vnus erat toto naturae vultus in orbe So as the heavens though they bee not compounded of the Elements yet are they made of the same matter that the Elements are compounded of They are not subject to the qualities of heat or cold or drought or moisture nor yet to weight or lightnes which arise from those qualities but haue a forme giuen them which differeth from the formes of all corruptible bodies so as it suffereth not nor can it suffer from any of them being so excellent and perfect in it selfe as it wholy satiateth the appetite of the matter it informeth The Coelestiall bodies then meeting with so noble a forme to actuate them are not nor cannot in the course of nature bee lyable to any generation or corruption in regard of their substance to any augmentation or diminution in regard of their quantity no nor to any destructiue alteration in respect of their qualities I am not ignorant that the controversies touching this forme what it should bee is no lesse then that touching the matter Some holding it to bee a liuing and quickning spirit nay a sensitiue and reasonable soule which opinion is stiffely maintained by many great learned Clarks both Iewes and Gentiles Christians supposing it vnreasonable that the heavens which impart life to other bodies should themselues bee destitute of life But this errour is notablely discovered and confuted by Claudius Espencaeus a famous Doctor of the Sorbone in a Treatise which hee purposely composed on this point In as much as what is denied those bodies in life in sense in reason is abundantly supplied in their constant vnchangeable duration arising from that inviolable knot indissoluble marriage betwixt the matter the forme which can never suffer any divorce but from that hand which first joyned them And howbeit it cannot be denied that not only the reasonable soule of man but the sensitiue of the least gnat that flies in the aire and the Vegetatiue of the basest plant that springs out of the earth are in that they are indued with life more divine and neerer approaching to the fountaine of life then the formes of the heavenly bodies yet as the Apostle speaking of Faith Hope and Charity concludes Charity to bee the greatest though by faith wee apprehend and apply the merits of Christ because it is more vniversall in operation and lasting in duration so though the formes of the Creatures endued
shalt not kill or he who charges not to be angry which of the two is more perfect to forbid adultery or to restraine the eyes from concupiscence whether more wisely done to forbid evill deedes or evill words whether more like to do good the not permitting of injuries or the not suffering the revenge of them And besides all this the Ethnickes only threatned the death of the body to malefactors but we sayth the same Tertullian feare to offend God pro scientiae plenitudine pro latebrarum difficultate pro magnitudine cruciatus non duiturni verum sempiterni in regard of the fulnes of his knowledge the difficulty of being hid and the greatnes of the punishment not for a long time but for ever And thus haue we seene that the ancient Romanes neither were nor indeed had the meanes to be so just as is pretended or as the Christians were whom they persecuted But it will be said that howsoever they might bee defectiue in matter of justice yet they excelled in wisedome and courage Let vs then take a view of these and first of their wisedome SECT 4. The second objection touching the pretended wisedome of the Romans answered by taking a briefe view of of their courses but specially by the testimony of Pliny IF we should speake of true wisedome it is only that which serues to make vs wise vnto salvation which without true Religion can never be attained as Lactantius most divinely Omnis sapientia hominis in hoc vno est vt Deum cognoscat colat hoc nostrum dogma haec sententia est quanta itaque voce possum testificor proclamo denuntiö hoc est illud quod Philosophi omnes in tota sua vita quaesâ—…erunt nec vnquam tameÌ„ investigare comprehendere aut tenere valuerunt quia religionem aut pravam retinuerunt aut totam penitus sustulerunt All the wisedome of man consists only in this that he know and worship God this is our doctrine this our opinion and this with as loud voyce as I can I testifie professe proclaime This is it which all the Philosophers during their whole life haue sought and yet could never finde out comprehend or attaine vnto because they either retained a corrupt religion or wholy extinguished it I would willingly learne how they who as hath already beene proved worshipped stockes and stones the workes of their owne hands or such a rabble of filthy wicked odious Gods and that in such a beastly or cruell manner like men voyde of common reason could be sayd to be wise Or how they who suffered the most notorious vices of their Gods to be described by their Poets acted by their Players drawne to life by their Painters whom they highly applauded and rewarded as if thereby they meant to instruct their youth in vertue could be said to be wise Or how they who wasted such infinite masses of treasure in such vaine buildings banquettings spectacles could be said to be wise Or they who by their sword-playeâ—… or wilde beasts only to satisfie their beastly pleasure devoured so many millions of men as might haue served to inlarge or preserue their Empire could bee said to bee wise Or how they who gaue way to men to make themselues away vpon all occasions as they thought fit nay exhorted them to it commended them for it which must needes bee a meanes to weaken their state could be said to be wise Lastly how they who professed that they most desired to traine vp their citizens to a militarie course of life and yet suffâ—…red them to wallow in all kinde of luxurie could be said to be wise What great peece of wisedome did they ever shew in the making of their Lawes or in their stratagems of warre which hath not bin exceeded or at least-wise equalled by the Christians in latter ages But the notable follie of the whole body of this state notoriously appeared in one action of theirs which I finde thus at large described and censured by pliâ—…y their Country-man and a great admirer of his owne Nation Certes when I consider and behold the monstrous humors of these prodigall spirits my mind is drawn away still from the progresse of mine intended journey forced I am to digresse out of my way and to annexe vnto this vanity of Scaurus as great folly of another not in Masonry and marble but in Carpentry and timber And C. Curio it was he who in the civill warres betweene Caesar and Pompey lost his life in the quarrell of Caesar. This Gentle-man desirous to shew pleasure vnto the people of Rome at the funeralls of his father deceased as the manner then was and seing that he could not out-goe Scaurus in rich and sumptuous furniture was put to his shifts and devised to surpasse him in wit since hee could not come neere him in wealth And what might his invention be Certes it is worth the knowledge if it were no more but this that we may haue joy of our owne conceites and fashions and call our selues worthily as our manner is Majores that is to say superiour every way to all others This Curio then in aemulation of Scaurus caused two Theaters to bee framed of timber and those exceeding bigge howbeit so as they might bee turned about as a man would haue theÌ„ approach neere one to the other or bee removed farther asunder as one would desire and all by the meanes of one hooke apeece that they hung by which bare the weight of the whole frame the counterpoise was so even and all the whole fabrique thereof sure and firme Now he ordered the matter thus that to behold the severall stage-playes and shewes in the fore-noone before dinner they should be set backe to backe to the end that the stages should not trouble one another and when the people had taken their pleasure that way he turned the Theaters about in a trice against the after-noone that they affronted one another and toward the latter end of the day and namely when the fencers and sword-players were come in place he brought both the Theaters neerer together and yet every man sate still kept his place according to his rank order in somuch as that by the meeting of the hornes or corners of them both together in compasse he made a faire round Amphitheater of it there in the middst betweene hee exhibited indeede vnto them all joyntly a sight and spectacle of sword-fencers fighting at sharpe whom hee had hired for that purpose But in truth a man may say more truly that hee carried the whole people of Rome round about at his pleasure bound sure enough for stirring or removing Now let vs câ—…me to the point and consider a little better of this thing what should a man wonder at most therein the deviser or the devise it selfe The workeman of this fabrique or the Master that set him a worke Whether of the twaine is more admirable either the verturous head